Albert branshaw



A. BRANSHAW1 Patented May 11, 1869. v

- tltnma slam making part of this specification, in which--' 7 'Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, taken. through a Q cam or'lever,

' scribed.

used, in combination with my invention,

A represents a draw-bar, I front end abell-mouth coupling-box and hunter, b.

as indicated in fi 1.

- ALBERT BRANSHAW, or Form DU LAQ IscoNsIN.

Letters Patent No. 89,913, dated May 11,

,mnovnn cnli otmnma.

The Schedule Mensa mm than Letters Patent of the sanie.

, l m To whom mw m i portion, and operate to keep this portion up to its Be it known that I, ALBERT BRANsHAw,of Fond place. 1 v du Lac, in the county of Fond du Lac, and State of When the latch-bar G is free, so that its hooked end Wisconsin, have invented a new and improved Railwill assume the position shown in fig. 1 in black lines,

road-Oar Coupling; following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference. being had to the accompanying drawings,

and I do hereby declarethat the coupling-box, and a portion of its draw-bar, i njthe vertical plane indicated by line a: m, fig. 2, showing-one end of a link confined in place in the box.

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the-"improved device.

Figure 3 is an end view of the same.

1 Similar letters of reference indicate parts in the several figures;

This invention relates to a new and improved cons'truction of railroadmar coupling, wherein a' gravitating latch or hook is employed, in combination with a arranged beneath this hook,.and adapted open or shut,as will be hereinafter decorresponding for locking it I am aware thatlocking-devices have hitherto been latches, for receiving and holding shackles or links, but I am not aware that a' coupling for cars has ever been known or used in the following manner.

To enable others skilled inthe art to understand 1 will describe its construction and'op elation. r

In the accompanying drawings- 1 having foruiedupon its The bottoms of the bar and box are slotted longitu dinally and centrally, so as to form a recess, a, extending forward and upward, and leaving a shoulder-abutment, g, at the rear end of the flaring mouth b.

This recess or slot a hasfitted loosely in it a gravitating-hook or latch -bar, 0, which is pivoted to the bar A by a bolt, e,,passing transversely through the bar. A and the latch-bar O, as shown. Y The forward end or armof this latch-bar O has book, a, formed on it, which extends upward and backward, soas to receive behindit, and retain a link, J ,7

The front edge of this hook c is bevelled backward, a'nd the upper end of this hookhas provided for it, 'in the upper wall'of the box b, a recess, which affords a supporting-shoulder for-the hook when in the position indicated'in black lines, figs.1 and? y That part of the latch-barQ which extends back of the bolt or fulcrum-pin e, is enlarged and loaded, so as to counterbalance the weight of the front hooked it will operate as aself-coupling, and by simply inserting one end'of alink, J, into the box b, and pressing this link backward, as shown in fig. 1, it willbe caught. and-held in place by the hook c. In the act of entering the link into its box I), the latch lever'will first assume'the position indicated 'in red lines; then, when the link has passed over the up per end of the book 0, through thel'ink by the weight of the arm a" p In this position of the latch-lever, its front endwill be supported against forward thrust by the shoulders at st, formed on the coupling-box. 1

Beneath the'fulcrum-pin e of the latch-lever, is {a cam, D,- which is keyed on a transverse rocking pin, b

having its bearing in a box, one end of it, an arm, E.

This cam is so shaped and arranged, that by turn- K, andhaving secured, on-

\ ing it backward and upward, it will act upon the loaded "arm of the latch-lever and bar 0, and, by raising it, depress the hooked end, as shown in red lines, fig. 1. This will lock hook c down, so as to release link J, or

prevent this link from being caught by the hook.

When cam D is moved forward and upward, it will act upon the hooked arm of the latch-lever or bar, and

this hook will be thrust up lock this arm in the position indicated 'in black lines,

fig; 1, thus preventing removal of the link J.

- This cam D may be worked from the platform of a car, or from the top of la car, by the employment of a 1 rod, or rod, chain, and pulleys,-leading to the required point, and suitably connected to thefree end of the .arui E, or to lever 'O.

It will be seen, from the above description, that I have a self-coupling, which is provided with a lockingdevice, for effecting an uncoupling, when desired, or

for locking the coupling-hook either open or shut;

also that I fit the front end of the latching-lever or bar Oeinto the coupling-box, in such manner as to afford it two frontbeaiings or. shoulders for supporting and strengthening this bar and its hook.

Having described my inventio V I V.

i What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination and arrangement of the draw-head A, gravitating-hook O, and pivoted device D, substantially as described.

t ALBERT BRAN SHAW. -Witnesses: Gno. P. KNOWLES,

O. Bmsmw. 

